Mariel's Magic Pt. 01

From the moment they recognized and came to understand the possibility of magic in their daughter, they started thinking about how they could keep her on a path to being a good person. They remembered the maxim, "absolute power corrupts absolutely," and knew that the power in their daughter could lead her astray. They did not want that for their child; and given what they knew about the father, they feared he might have passed down to her tendencies that he obviously had.

Initially, they sought to create a safe and stimulating environment where her powers could manifest without danger. This required extreme babyproofing, where sharp objects that could be flung around while the child had a normal tantrum were securely locked away. They also sought from Jennifer ways of placing wards about the apartment, including special herbs and objects that could absorb and render harmless any outbursts of magic power.

Still on sabbatical, Jonathan and Adriana sought every scrap of old and new wisdom they could find about magical theory and folklore. Assuming Mariel would have to be homeschooled, they started accumulating teaching materials on normal adolescent subjects, plus elementary books on ethics and morality, especially from Buddhist sources, that they could use to prepare a path for their child.

Through Jennifer, they reached out to magical communities, which lived quietly in different corners of the world, looking for those experienced with handling and teaching magic, to guide Mariel and guide them as well.

Chapter 7. Hana

Mariel's magic was evident from the first. She could communicate with her parents, especially Adriana, in dreams, and items in the apartment regularly shook, rattled, or levitated when she was agitated. Her parents became used to this type of magic. They paid attention went she sent them dreams and were good at keeping the dangerous and breakable items secured.

The couple, especially Adriana, had learned to calm down and communicate with the child to a certain extent. It was all nonverbal and relied on the child's own innate ability to send messages to her mother. Adriana and Jonathan had engaged in practices to strengthen the bond between them, and in so doing, enhanced Jonathan's ability to communicate with the child as well. When they took Mariel to the doctor for her first vaccinations, Adriana was able to speak to the child, merely by stroking her head, and while the baby flinched when poked with the needle she did not cry and did not send out bursts of magic that could wreck the examining room.

From birth, Mariel's magic seemed to be spontaneous, reacting to the child's moods. However, when Mariel was seven months old and had started to crawl, her magic changed. She started showing signs of conscious control over it. They first noticed this when Mariel was sitting in the middle of the room, stretching out her hand for a toy sitting on the couch that she could not reach, and it moved towards her. It was only a few inches, but it was clearly in the child's direction.

"She's starting to be conscious of her power," said the mystic, Jennifer, when they told her about it. "It's not enough that you've learned to calm her and prevent her magic from doing damage. Now is the time she must learn how to channel her power towards the light. Now is the time to show her the path. You need to start thinking about a teacher."

Following Jennifer's advice, they began the search for a teacher; one who possessed magic and could instruct their child. In the meantime, Adriana sat with the child day after day, sometimes speaking quietly and sometimes not speaking. She would read to the child about sages of the past, who seemed to have had power, and had used that power for the benefit of the people around them. Unfortunately, she found information only about the men, including the Buddha, Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, Jesus, Mohammed, Saint Francis, and Confucius. Still, she studied their lives, and as she did so she tried to impart that knowledge to Mariel, by visualizing their lives in her own mind.

She also tried to send messages to Mariel about their need for a teacher. As the child sat on her lap or lay next to her, she thought she felt a response, but could not be sure, until one day, while she was napping next to Mariel. She had a psychic dream, and in it she saw her daughter, now a toddler, standing next to an old woman who was smiling down at her. In the dream, Mariel stood handing out bread to little children, in what looked like a poor village somewhere. A few days later, her daughter, now older, stood in a room appearing to teach those same children, and the same woman was standing near her.

"I think it's working," she said to Jonathan, telling him of her second dream. "I wish we could be sure. Jonathan, I wonder if the woman I see is a teacher?"

"We could try asking Mariel. I mean, ask her about the old woman standing next to her; like, is she a teacher, and can Mariel tell us where she is?"

"I guess we can ask her."

Jonathan was thoughtful, then said, "Maybe we can combine our energies and ask her."

"We can try."

Later that day, as Mariel lay on her back and quietly batted at a small plush toy that she was causing to hover in the air, Adriana and Jonathan sat cross-legged on either side of her, each with one hand holding the other's and the other hand gently touching the baby's shoulders. They both brought to mind a vague image of a teacher who had magic. They each let the image resolve into any form it wanted, and they both settled on an old woman. Looking into each other's eyes they knew that their emotions and energies were aligned as they tried to turn their focus away from each other and towards the baby. As they did their eyes shifted from each other to the child's face.

Both focused on their breathing, trying to hold the emotion and energy as they felt it bathe Mariel. The child stopped playing and looked at them, turning her eyes from one to the other. She was smiling, and her parents knew that they were speaking to her, and that Mariel was receiving their question about the teacher. She then started laughing, joyously, as, perhaps for the first time, she found herself talking to both.

Jonathan and Adriana held the question of the teacher in their minds for as long as they could, but inevitably, the psychic energy to do this wavered and burned out. By this time the child had fallen asleep. Needing a rest, they placed the baby in the center of their bed, and the two of them lay down on either side and fell asleep. This time, they both dreamt of the old woman and the toddler Mariel. They tried to see who she was, and then both called out to her, in unison. The old woman turned her head and nodded, and the dream ended.

Afterwards, Jonathan described his dream, and Adriana said she had the same dream. Then he described the woman. "She was a small Asian woman with grey hair, wearing a plain light-colored kimono. She looked like she was teaching Mariel, outdoors, in the woods, and there was a little fire."

"Yes," said Adriana, "I saw the same woman."

They talked to Jennifer about what they were doing. "I think what you're doing makes sense," said Jennifer. "Like I said, I have a little magic, and it feels right. Maybe you'll have a psychic dream that tells you who this woman is, and where she is. Or maybe the woman will contact you."

Adriana, and sometimes Jonathan kept up with the child's nonverbal lessons, and every week or two joined hands to ask for the child's help in finding a teacher. The old woman kept appearing, and they kept comparing what they saw, and agreed that it was always the same woman.

"This is so strange," said Jonathan one day. "A year ago, I could not have imagined any of this. Adriana, is any of this real?"

"It is, Jonathan, it is. Why not? Why can't there be magic?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so. Why not?"

"Lots of people believe in magic, so it must exist somewhere in the world."

"I don't know about lots of people; and do people really believe?"

"Well," said Adriana, "if you figure that some of the biggest religions are based on magic, otherwise known as miracles... maybe our child's magic seems a bit different to us, but it's all basically magic."

"Yeah, I guess. There could have been someone in the past with power like Mariel, and people formed a religion around that person, attributing the magic to some god"

"Sure, why not?"

"Well, makes sense. People have always been inclined to create and worship gods in the past. Over the past five thousand years there may have been thousands of gods that attracted believers. So, if someone was doing magic it's reasonable that the people who saw it would attribute it to a god."

"So, even today, there may be many people hiding in plain sight, doing magic."

"And one of these could be a teacher for our girl."

"The woman you and I have seen, could she be the one? I kind of feel that she is, you know," said Jonathan.

They got Jennifer on the phone and suggested another session with bells, where either Adriana or Jonathan could be induced to see where this woman was.

"Maybe," said Jennifer, "But why not try the direct approach. When you dream the woman again ask her, right there, for a phone number; or you can give her your own phone number."

They both thought that was a reasonable idea, and after spending time sending the question to the baby, they took a nap and were again in the scene with the woman.

"How can we contact you? What's your name? Can you give us a phone number?" Jonathan called to the woman.

The woman smiled warmly at Jonathan but said nothing and turned back to their child. He saw her speaking to Mariel. Then the woman opened a box and started pulling out child's' blocks. After the dream ended, the couple compared notes, and knew that their dreams were the same.

"I think we are supposed to get some blocks for Mariel. What do you think?" Adriana asked Jonathan.

"I think so, too," he replied, and left to find a toy store.

Guessing what might happen, he got small, baby sized plastic blocks with both letters and numbers. They sat Mariel down on the floor with the brightly colored blocks in front of her. She seemed immediately fascinated by them and picked them up, one by one. As they watched, they could tell she was not acting like a normal baby. Mariel took each block, examined it closely, and either placed it back down in front of her, with a number facing up, or dropped the block by her side. She worked at this for at least half an hour, without losing focus. Then she looked up at them, smiling and making excited noises, while pointing at what she had done.

She had made what seemed to be a long phone number that included an international dialing code. Adriana dialed the number and a woman answered.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hello. My name is Adriana, and I think I've been seeing you in my dreams."

"Oh, well," she said with a Japanese accent, "my name is Hana Ito, and I know you have been seeing me, and I know that your lovely child needs a teacher. Here, let me turn on my video so I can see who I am talking to."

Adriana got an invitation to a video call and accepted. The woman on the other side was just as she had seen her. She seemed very small.

"That is better," Hana said with a smile. "Please tell me why you called, dear."

"Thank you, I don't know where to start. You said my Mariel needs a teacher, what kind of teacher?"

"Your little one has power," said Hana. "We have spoken, her and I, and she has ancient power that she is just starting to use consciously. This is a critical time, though you may not see it."

"You've spoken to my daughter?" asked Adriana, amazed.

"Of course. She is quite clever and knows many things. Unfortunately, she is still clothed in the body of a baby. Her little body cannot do what she wants it to do yet, but it will, soon. She has a language, but she has not yet learned your language. So, she and I speak in her language. Soon, very soon, she will begin speaking in yours."

"So," Adriana asked, "you understand her power, what my friend Jennifer calls magic?"

"It has many names, child, many names that have been used and are now forgotten. Magic? Not a good name, because it speaks of simple tricks that deceive the eye. She has the power of the mind, to change things that she wants changed."

"She makes her toys float above her head," said Adriana.

"A simple power but suited to her small desires. As she grows those desires will be greater, and she will change things to suit her. She must learn to do so without causing pain or suffering to others. She has told me that you and your husband have been telling her of paths taken by the Buddha and others. Only she can choose that path, but it will be difficult as many things along the darker path become available to her. She needs help to avoid these temptations."

"Can you help her, Hana?"

"Yes. It is my path to teach others like her, as I was taught myself. Your daughter is very important and can be a great blessing to the world."

"We've been told about dark forces who might want to take her power or use her."

"You are right. There are many who have embraced evil things, and would use her, but only if she is willing to follow them."

"Why would she want to do that?" asked Adriana.

"As you may already know, dark magic is seductive. It is where great pleasure lies, great power over others, and the adoration of others. Those things are also accompanied by pain, and those who use this power seek to acquire more and more pleasure to offset the pain they feel. It is a terrible path to walk."

"Can we meet with you?" asked Adriana. "Where are you? We can pay for your travel."

"I live in a monastery in Japan, but I often travel to places where I am needed. I have many responsibilities here, but your daughter is important, so I will come if you want."

"OK, I think we do. I'll talk to my husband."

"Thank you. Call me when you decide."

Jonathan heard the entire call on speaker, and said, "What do you think?"

"I don't think she's one of the dark ones," she replied. "But I could be wrong. I wouldn't want to invite one of them into our apartment."

"She seems to be the one that Mariel found for us," Jonathan mused, "so put that on the plus side. But if they have the power, they could fool our daughter. Still, I think our daughter is wise, and if Mariel chose her maybe she's okay. So, you think it's a good idea to invite her to visit?"

Adriana reflected on this, and then said, "Yes, let's invite her."

They called Hana back, arranged for and paid for her travel, and two weeks later the old woman was at their door. She was smaller than she seemed on the video call. She thanked them for allowing her to come, and they gave her tea. They chatted briefly and Hana met Mariel.

At her request, they allowed Hana to hold Mariel briefly. The old woman and the little girl eyed each other solemnly for a few minutes, and then it was obvious that Hana was very tired, so they showed her to the guest room and let her settle in.

Several hours later, Adriana knocked on her door, saying they would be eating in half an hour. Hana thanked her from inside the room and said she would come out shortly. She emerged wearing a simple kimono and slippers, and, while still looking tired, seemed ready to sit with them and eat. Mariel sat in her highchair, silently studying the woman. They talked about her flight, and how she liked San Francisco, so far. Then they talked about what she had come for.

"I knew of your child's power before, but now I have felt it in my arms. She is a rare child, this one. Observe." Then the tiny spoon near Mariel's food rose in the air, circled the table twice, and set itself down where it had been.

Hana smiled at the child, who had a huge grin on her face. "I did not do that," said Hana. "I only asked Mariel to do it and guided her as she used her power. That little feat is exceptional for one her age."

Adriana sat wide-eyed, then said, "We have already seen her use this kind of power, but she would just make things float in the air. You can communicate with her? Tell her how to do things? And she understands?"

"She understands much on a nonverbal level. That is how we communicate. I understand that you and Jonathan have also learned something of this nonverbal communication?"

"Yes," said Jonathan. "We have practiced."

"Good, I can show you how to better communicate with your child in this way."

The next day, Hana was up and sipping tea when Adriana walked into the kitchen, carrying Mariel. Adriana asked if she would like some breakfast, but she politely said no, and said that she never ate breakfast. They chatted for a little while about San Francisco, which Hana had visited before, but not for many years.

Then Hana asked, "May I care for the child today? I want to know more about her, and to do that we need to spend time together."

"Very well," replied Adriana, "that's why you are here, after all. Do you want to feed her as well?"

"Yes, I would like to do everything for her. I will remain where you can see us. I do not want to make her anxious."

"I see, well, I breastfeed her, so I'll need to pump some milk for you before she wants something. In fact, I better do it now. Go ahead and take her, and I'll put the milk in the refrigerator."

Hana took the child on her lap and sat on the couch, speaking softly to her. This lasted over an hour. Mariel sometimes looked over at her mother but continued to focus her attention on Hana. At times the baby gestured or vocalized.

"I think she's hungry," Adriana said, and went to warm up the milk. She gave the little bottle to Hana, who fed her while continuing to talk softly. All this time Jonathan was in his office, working. When the baby had enough, Hana put her over her shoulder and rubbed and patted her back.

Then the child fell asleep as Hana held her in her lap. The child slept for a long time, while Hana sat erect. When she awoke, Hana sat her on the floor, and lay on her side next to her, talking softly, as Mariel picked up a rattle and waved it around. Hana changed her diaper and then bathed her as Adriana stood by to help if needed. Hana fed her again, and once again sat her on her lap to talk.

It was a long day for Hana, but as she handed Mariel back to her mother, she seemed pleased. After dinner, when the baby was in her crib, Hana quietly talked to the couple.

"For some of us, we come into this life remembering where we came from, and knowing what we are here to do," she said. "Have you ever felt that way?"

The couple looked at each other, then both shook their heads.

"Well, nearly all of us don't, but I think because we forget. A person may be born with a sense of purpose for this existence. A sense that is part of that person's spirit. But we are born into a baby's body, with an undeveloped brain, and no way to communicate. All of our attention is focused on surviving, growing, learning to walk, to speak, and even to eat. The huge job of learning to be human makes us forget who we are and why we are here."

"I have spoken to Mariel and listened to her. I have sensed both her great power and her great purpose. She knows why she is here but cannot do much while trapped in the body of a child. We must help her remember why she is here as she learns how to live in a human body, and I must teach her how to channel her magic so that she can use it."

Jonathan and Adriana listened intently as Hana shared what she had learned from their daughter. The mysterious words seemed to hang heavily in the air between them, then they both asked, "Why is she here?"

"Your daughter says that soon there will be a great battle between the dark and the light. She is here to use her magic in that battle."